We appreciate the enormous support that our ABestWeb community has experienced over the many years it has served its members and sponsors. We have decided to exit this business and have placed the property up for sale and we are actively entertaining interest.

In the meantime, community members will be able to read but not post to ABestWeb beginning on Jan. 18.

We want to thank you for your numerous contributions and your ongoing support. If you have any questions, please let us know.

Absolutely true Kevin! The senate seems to have done their part. Now you need to press the assembly to find an anti-more tax advocate. One of them will step up and be the hero. Don't know how many conservatives you have in your assembly, but I'd start there. Good luck gang!

Don't know how many conservatives you have in your assembly, but I'd start there. Good luck gang!

What a ridiculous statement. The NYS Assembly has a Republican sponsor for S8638 but not a Democrat. Take a look at all the senators who voted for S8638. I bet you could make a hell of a bonfire with the "conservatives" in that group.

Howzabout you try not to turn this issue into a soapbox for your political views?

I just contacted Assemblyman Al Stirpe who is in my district. He isn't in but I talked with his office about him sponsoring the bill and explained what the new tax law was doing to affiliates.

She said that the woman who handles these types of things for him would look into it more and try to get back to me by Monday. She also said that I can set up a meeting with the assemblyman when I talk to the person on Monday which I will try to do. I'll update if and when I hear anything back.

I just got off the phone with someone from Senator John A. DeFrancisco's office and unfortunately it was a pretty ic conversation. He said that the bill would need to have a sponsor to even have a chance for a vote. I asked him about how soon it could be voted on and he said seeing how the 2008 business is done a good chance wouldn't be until Jan, 09.

He also mentioned that there is a possibility as mentioned about the assembly being called in for certain other votes. That's where it stands with my reps. He mentioned about how getting some of the assembly members from the NYC area to sponsor the repeal could go a long way with winning enough votes for it to pass.

Although Bruno is pretty much out of the picture now I think it wouldn't be a bad idea for everyone to get in touch with him and the new Senate Majority Leader Dean G. Skelos to push it through faster. JMO of course

I just got a return phone call from assemblyman Stirpe's top aid that works mostly in the Syracuse area and not his aid from the Albany area. She said that she passed a little of the information I gave her on to the the assemblyman and that he will try to call me sometime tomorrow.

The one thing she wasn't sure about is if any of the assembly members can sponsor this or if it's certain ones, perhaps the ones that are on the Ways and Committee? She said she really doesn't deal too much with that but I will try to get more info from Mr. Stirpe if and when I speak with him tomorrow.

One suggestion seeing how everyone is pretty much home in their districts now would be to try and see if any of the assembly reps from the Albany area might be around to attend the meeting on Monday. JMO of course. Are there any affiliates who live in the Albany area attending the meeting that could contact their Assembly person with an invite? If I get a call back from assemblyman Stirpe tomorrow I'll post what he had to say about all of this.